You may not realize it, but when you interfere with a 911 emergency call in Connecticut, or when you disrupt any emergency phone call to a police or fire department in Connecticut, you can get arrested in Darien, Stamford or Greenwich for the crime of Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call under CGS 53a-183b. It is a misdemeanor crime that is taken very seriously in Connecticut, especially during domestic violence arrests where the telephone is the only lifeline to safety for a husband or wife who is being abused. Connecticut police and prosecutors will arrest and aggressively prosecute individuals who interfere with 911 calls. Every second counts during an emergency and as a result, any disruption of an emergency call can result in severe fines and criminal penalties. In light of the fact that people are arrested for 53a-183b Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call so frequently in domestic violence cases, there are often additional misdemeanor and felony charges that can piggyback a Stamford Connecticut Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call arrest. Therefore, if you have been arrested for Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call under CGS 53a-183b in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Wilton or New Canaan, it is important to contact a top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney to understand your rights, and try to get the Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call—and any other Connecticut domestic violence arrest charges for that matter—dismissed as quickly as possible.
To understand how someone is arrested in Connecticut with Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call, the best attorneys will inevitably point you to Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-183b. Under this criminal law, you can be arrested if you intentionally hinder or prevent an individual from making or completing a call to the police or 911 dispatch who is requesting police protection or reporting the commission of a crime. That’s the technical definition of this crime, and as we explain below, it can be enforced and applied in many different scenarios. Typically, you can be arrested when you either physically or verbally prevent or hinder someone else from making an emergency call. Physical interference ranges from breaking an someone’s cell phone, ripping a phone from the hands of a 911 caller, hanging up the phone mid-call, or abruptly disconnecting any kind of 911 call. On the other hand, verbal hindering ranges from taking over a 911 emergency phone call and telling the emergency services operator there is no problem (when there really is), or to verbally threaten an individual to either hang up the phone or not make the phone call in the first place.
An arrest in Connecticut for Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call is a Class A misdemeanor. This crime is punishable by up to one year in jail, probation, and a maximum $2,000 in fines. You will also be required to pay court fees and expenses associated with your case.
As mentioned above, top attorneys often see a 53a-183b Interference with 911 Emergency Call arrest go hand-in-hand with other domestic violence charges. A domestic violence arrest requires a court appearance on the next business morning, where you are required to appear before a Superior Court criminal judge for a protective / restraining order hearing.
When a criminal judge hears that you have been accused of interfering with or hindering a 911 emergency call in addition to a domestic violence arrest for Disorderly Conduct, Assault, or Strangulation, a judge may be very concerned that the alleged victim in your case is not safe to reside in the same home as you. At this hearing, the judge can issue 3 kinds of restraining orders: (1) a “full no contact” order preventing you from returning home and having any kind of contact whatsoever with the complainant, (2) a “full residential stay-away” order, allowing contact but forbidding you from entering the residence of the protected person, or (3) a “partial” or “limited” domestic violence protective restraining order, allowing you contact and residential visiting privileges, but forbidding you from threatening, harassing or assaulting the protected person.
This restraining order can last anywhere from weeks to months, making it all the more advisable to have an attorney advocating for you at the protective / restraining order hearing. Once the parameters of a restraining order are ordered by the Court, your case will be transferred to the domestic violence court docket where you and your legal team can fight your Interference with a 911 Emergency call arrest and any other additional criminal charges.
Most Connecticut Interfering with Emergency Call 53a-183b arrests arise during the commission of crime or a domestic violence incident. In today’s fast-pace technological world, all emergency calls are digitally recorded. Therefore, if you are innocent of your Interference charges and you believe the 911 call itself will help prove your innocence, then the best attorneys will know how to immediately file motions with the court to preserve and review the digital 911 recordings and other electronic evidence.
It is critical these preservation motions are filed quickly, as this digital evidence is not preserved forever. Unless the police preserve and excerpt these recordings themselves, these recordings are only available for about 30 to 60 days until they are destroyed. Don’t let crucial evidence like this disappear. Another approach in fighting your arrest is hiring an investigator to take witness statements from anyone who was present during the alleged crime. Many times a complainant will feel guilty about calling and actually hang up on 911. But understand the police will show up at your home anyway, even if there’s a hangup call. Then the so-called victim will blame their spouse or significant other when the police finally arrive. One of the only ways to set the record straight is to provide police and prosecutors with a signed sworn statement which can vindicate you and possibly convince the State of Connecticut to drop its Interference with 911 Emergency Call arrest against you. To learn more about how to fight your CGS 53a-183b arrest, contact our firm to discuss your defense strategy options.
Generally, yes. First time offenders who commit misdemeanors and low-level felonies are typically eligible to apply for the Accelerated Rehabilitation First Time Offenders Program. The “AR Program” gives first time offenders the opportunity have a “second chance.” And even though a 53a-183b Interference with 911 Emergency Call arrest is often charged in a domestic violence case, it does not qualify to be dismissed under the Family Violence Education Program (“FVEP”) diversionary program. That’s why the AR Program is the most appropriate diversionary program for this charge.
Getting the AR Program for your 53a-183b Interference with an Emergency Call is divided into a two-step hearing process: first, comes eligibility, followed by a hearing on the merits of your application. With respect to eligibility, as along as you did not use the AR Program in the past 10 years, and so long as the AR was not used for a felony arrest, you will generally be eligible to apply. It is the AR Program hearing that is the most important. At the hearing on your AR Program application, the victim of your arrest—as well as the police department—will have a chance to object to your application. Criminal court judges in Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport and Danbury granting your AR application will decide whether to allow you to participate in this diversionary program, which if completed, will result in your Stamford or Greenwich 53a-183b Interference with 911 Emergency Call arrest being dismissed by the Connecticut Superior Court. It is therefore crucial that you and your top Stamford Connecticut criminal attorney assemble the strongest application possible so the arrest record can be completely erased from your record and background checks. So be sure to contact a top Stamford criminal attorney to discuss the best strategy for applying for the Accelerated Rehabilitation First Time Offenders Program for your Connecticut Interference with an Emergency Call arrest.
As you can see, a domestic violence arrest in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Wilton, Weston, New Canaan or Westport can involve many moving parts. If not handled properly, then the consequences to your professional or personal life can be long-term and life-changing. And when your arrest involves accusations of Interfering with a 911 Emergency Call or a call to the police department, then you can be arrested in Darien, Westport, Greenwich, Stamford or New Canaan for the specific crime of 53a-183b Interference with a 911 Emergency Call. These arrests usually come hand in hand with other Connecticut domestic violence arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Violation of a Protective Order, Strangulation, and Assault in the Third Degree. So if you find yourself arrested in Stamford or Greenwich for Interfering with a 911 Emergency call, then contact one of the Connecticut domestic violence criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today. Our priority is getting you the best result possible under your individual circumstances. We will sit with you and develop the most cost-effective defense strategy with you, and will execute this strategy with the goal of getting your Connecticut Interference with Emergency Call charges dismissed or reduced as quickly as possible. Our “two-attorney” guarantee ensures that your case will get a thorough and comprehensive review from at least two of our criminal lawyers. So contact a Greenwich or Stamford criminal attorney today. The attorneys at Mark Sherman Law are available 24/7 to speak with you. Call us today.